Anatomy:

Below is a more in depth review of the KG anatomy. All of the information below can be found on the above picture, this is only for those who are further curious bout the extends of KG anatomy.

Each base can have slightly different traits - this is a "general" list of the KG anatomy; further down will be a list showing the differences between the different breeding bases.
Please scroll to the very bottom of the page to get even more in depth with the KG attribute =)

Fur - Coarse and short-to-medium length, except for the chest, neck, and tail areas, which are all long-haired.

Head - The head of the KG should be large and broad, providing them with a bone-crushing bite force that has put them on the top of the bite-force charts in animal species.

Ears - The ears are usually large and occasionally compared to bat ears. They are thin, but densely compacted with blood vessels to pull heat away from the body, keeping them cool in high temperatures, but also keeping frostbite away (return to this after checking frostbite facts). However if it is known the dog will be spending long amounts of time, even the rest of their lives out in a snowy, cold landscape, the ears will likely be cropped. The ears are also often bare, meaning no fur. Ears with fur can retain water and heat, giving them a disadvantage.

Muzzle - Thick and well-muscled, aiding more to their massive jaw strength. The muzzles can vary within the breed, ranging from a wolf-like look, to true mastiff jowls. A KG can have canines up to 2 inches long, and they're fond of showing them off.

Nose - While having wonderful eyesight, a KG's nose pales in comparison to most other canine species and breeds, however it does also depend on the job. A KG can still possess the talents to become an expert tracker or seeker, but many others do not have the focus it takes to memorize scents of bombs and the like to be able to locate them in a large area.
Others are even missing the link that allows them to differentiate scents to specific things, and therefore make poor trackers, and hunters. A KG will, if left to their own devices, hunt using sound and sight rather than smell. While most dogs will perceive things in the order of nose > eyes > ears, a KG would prefer ears > eyes > nose, much like a human.

Eyes - Aforementioned, the KG have wonderful eyesight, and eye diseases are very rare. Their eyes work in a way that bright lights to not cause a glare, and therefore they can see longer distances out in the desert, and make out more complex details than the human eye.
In shape, the eye can, of course, vary, but there are two types ; wolf and round. Round is the typical dog eye - thin rim, can be either almond-shaped or fully round, and there is more pupil seen than color. Wolf-eyes are a rarity of sorts, and are more narrowed, thick-rimmed, angled, and the color is extremely prevalent. Wolf-eyes are a remnant of a usually recent wolf ancestor into the lineage.

Neck - The neck of a KG is corded with thick muscle, and the vertebrae of the neck are more flexible - this allows them their most famous "throw" - the dogs are known for picking up and tossing an enemy away from them, using these thick neck muscles and extra bend in their necks. The neck is also covered in a long-haired mane, in order to make it more difficult for an enemy to reach their throats. When bitten around the neck, you are more likely to end up with a mouth full of fur than even get near their skin!

Chest - The chest is broad, setting their front legs fairly far apart in comparison to other breeds. The mane around the neck extends to the chest area, until about the middle of the front legs. The chest and shoulder have little definition between them, with a condensed collar bone that allows them a larger range of motion with the front legs, giving maximum efficiency with their claws.

Paws/Claws - Unlike other canine species, a KG relies heavily on his claws for battle. The paws have large, hooked claws that can be either black, clear, or a mix. If based in Egypt, or kenneled, a KG's claws will remain sharp to the touch, as sand does not wear down the tips. Others outside of Egypt may resort to sharpening their claws on various surfaces, or will maintain stronger chest and frontal muscles to give more power behind a hit, rather than relying on cutting flesh.
The paw's toes are long, and have more dexterity than the average dog paw. They are trained to pick any lock they can, as well as the long toe + claw combination aiding them to be excellent climbers. A good KG can easily scale a mountainside without much difficulty. However, the toes have little to no webbing on the front, and only slightly more in the back, making them poor swimmers, along with their muscle to fat ratio being low, giving them little buoyancy in the water. A KG will still dive into water after it's owner or if ordered, but will usually try to find a solution to the problem on dry land first. THE KG CANNOT SWIM - ONLY S&R dogs can swim.

Pawpads - Tough, usually grey or black, pawpads that are worn and protect them from the hot sands.

Back - The preferred back should be straight, but may have a slight dip in the middle of the spine.

Hips - The hips of the KG have massive muscling, but are more suited for things leaping, and keeping them upright on the hind legs for longer periods, rather than running.

Hind Legs - The hind legs are straight and springy, aiding their jumping and ability to "turn on a dime" (not literally, but they do twist and turn quite well).

Tail - Over the history of their breed, KG's have been bred to have short tails, to make up for their large ears. Long tails means more area to grab onto during a fight, so in even more recent years, they have even taken to breeding already tail-less dogs. Nonetheless, the tail should not fall below the hocks of the hind legs, and is long-haired like the neck. The tail can curl if husky has been recently put into their lines, though it is rare. If a KG is spayed or neutered, the tail is traditionally docked to give a slightly easier look-and-tell.

Coloring - Egypt

The KG's have a wide variety of coloring, and parts depend on which sub-breed the dog is.
While there are recommended colors for each sub-breed, each base breeds for different colors, and even then your not all dogs follow the recommended colors! There are oddities, such as Genkai (who is light grey), and Ghost (who is white), and both were bred in Egypt.
Also, unless specified otherwise (with magical species), all colors are "natural".

Coat -
Longhairs - Egypt tends to breed dogs that will blend well in the desert - tans, browns, creams, and some darker colors such as dark brown, grey, and black that will blend in at night, which is Egypt's busiest time.

Shorthairs - Lots of orange, red, tan, and mid-toned browns, the occasional black. These rarely, if ever, come in other colors such as white, grey, blue, and dark browns or creams.

Markings - Any color, any combination (within realism).
However within the markings, certain combinations can be tied to bloodlines. For example, any dog with the mask + husky + saddle back combo is likely related to Genkai and his line.

Eyes - The eyes can be any color except green, though some are more common than others. In order of most to least common - brown, amber, gold, grey, black, or sometimes the rare blue. Even more rare are bi-colored eyes; the most common bi-color combination is blue and brown, or blue and amber.
In Shorthairs, the eyes are usually amber, brown, or yellow, with the other colors being very rare.

Below are the base differences in the dogs, as compared to Egypt.

Australia

-Same coloring as Egypt's dogs-Usually thinner builds, with larger ears-Faster runners-Temperament is more loner, they are more breed for roaming across a countryside, not loyalty to the owner. -Smaller in size-Claws more blunt from walking on harder surfaces, therefore have the more muscular upper body than Egyptians.

Alaska

-Alaska is the smallest breeding base, but they breed their dogs for greys and whites.-Usually fluffier, to protect them from the cold.-Ears are traditionally cropped.

Running/Jumping

A Kg's full sprinting speed would be somewhere between 19-21 mph, unless your dog is more built for speed like Sai or Rampart - smaller dogs with longer legs and leaner muscle; then they may get over 25 mph. Shorthairs typically have longer legs like this and would probably be around 21-25 mph, on average.

The Kg have tons of muscle in their hind legs and can jump pretty high. A KG can easily clear 5-6 feet (this is jumping straight over, without using paws; think of an agility jump), and possibly up to 8-9 feet if they use their paws to launch themselves over; all of these are of course with a slight running start. From a stand-still, a KG would clear about 2-3 feet.
The muscles help in distance; a typical KG, with a running start, could jump a distance of 14 feet. From a stand-still, 9-10 feet.
However, the larger the dog, the more muscle it has to get the momentum and strength to push themselves far - the higher-ranging KG's (39 inches and up, built heavy), could clear 19-20 feet, but could not jump very high. The high-range KG would typically clear about 5 feet. The smaller the dog, the higher it can jump - clearing at about 6-8 feet, and are more adept at climbing (getting to that later), but would not have distance. Lower-range Kg's could only make about 12-13 feet.

Climbing

The bigger the dog is, the less likely they are going to be able to climb. Smaller dogs, (36" and below), have an easier time, they're going to be able to balance better, and weigh less and therefore can climb on more things without breaking them. Big dogs such as Genkai cannot climb well at all - they're just too heavy, and aren't fast enough to make the quick jumps and foot changes required for scrambling up things.

Even then, the average small KG doesn't just magically know how to climb well. I'd say they could probably get up on the roof if it was an obviously clear path (such as, a perfect set of wooden boxes made into stairs), but they can't just climb on a trash can and get on a rooftop. Buildings aren't that small, and they must LEARN to climb - this ability only comes with assassin training!

Assassin's are different; they've recieved special training and are built for climbing, and generally running. An Assassin' can easily clear 9-10 feet up, up to 12-13 with paws, and eventually learn to climb 90 degree walls, and usually have a distance jump of 15 feet (depends on their size, of course. There are large assassins, and small, but they can usually get AT LEAST 15 feet distance). These dogs know how to judge what they can and cannot climb on, and are typically a little more flexible in order to find better footholds. Assassin dogs are fast, agile climbers, easily outrunning the rest of the pack, but are no more powerful than the average mastiff dog. They rely entirely on their speed to make a kill, or win a fight.
But if you've read the website, Assassin's are closed. This means that there should be no uber awesome climbers in the roleplay aside from Rampart, who received training. Eventually I'll open up an assassin position or two, but not right now.

Why Can't KG Swim?

Going along with "it doesn't change their anatomy" - KG can't swim. It's not that they don't know how, or that they're just plain afraid of water (although some are!), for most of them their anatomy simply does not allow them the skills needed to swim.

Their muscle-to-fat ratio is too low for them to float; like many monkey species, they sink when in water. This is the basic reason that makes S&R dogs so special and rare- dogs that have a good enough ratio to swim. These dogs are typically a bit "fatter" if you will (fed a different diet), to give them some aide on buouency, and may have some other added benefits that were bred into them.

Their paws also aren't helpful - the KG have little to NO webbing on their toes. If you've ever used flippers or webbed gloves, you might get what I mean when I said no webbing = hard swimming. Not only do they sink, but they can't swim. S&R dogs generally have more webbing than most, another + for their job.

So ONLY S&R dogs can swim. ONLY. And on that note, any dog that CAN swim is usually immedietly placed in the S&R group, and any dog that can't swim (even if they have that good nose they need), will NEVER be put in S&R.

Relationships

Dog vs Dog - These dogs are highly aggressive and dominant, and therefore do not get along with other dogs, even inside their own packs. Fights among each other are common, though a General (or trainer) will usually break up a fight if it gets too serious. However, a KG will never break up a fight between a KG and another domestic dog - see domestic animals tab at the top for more information.

Cat vs Dog - The KG have a slightly complex relationship with cats. In true Egyptian tradition, cats are kept in the palace as beloved pets, as well as the Soraya show cats being bred right in the Palace Yard. The KG leave the palace cats and Soraya's alone, steering clear of them when they can - killing a marked Palace cat is a crime in the city, and a Soraya is valuable - however they'll still giving warning bites to a Soraya.

Feral cats are much different. See the domestic animals tab for more info, but the dogs are much more cautious to attack a feral cat than a dog - they will likely give a warning first, then a warning bite, then attack.

Children vs Dog - Because of their temperament, it is NOT suggested to put a KG near a child, unless it is with a handler. The KG will not hesitate to bite an annoying child, and thus can be extremely dangerous to them. They are more tolerant of children 12 and up, though they will still bite.

Kg vs Magic - The KG are completely non-magic, but are different from other domesticated creatures. The KG have a natural resistance to magic, a trait magic users are eager to study as to how they developed this. This is not to say magic has no effect on them - just to a lesser degree. In a way most of the magic will "slide" off of them- they may get knocked back a step, but are only hit with about 10% of the initial blast.
The KG typically do not like magicals - they do stereotype and profile them, believing all magicals are automatically criminals until proven otherwise.

KG vs Humans - Contrary to popular belief, the KG DO NOT hate humans. In fact, they adore their human masters! After all, if such a powerful breed were to hate humans, it's doubtful they would remain under their control.

Other

Temperament - The KG's are known for their violent, ferocious behavior. They are bred fighting dogs, and violence runs in their blood. Without the good fight every now and then, a KG will become restless and agitated if not given work to get their minds off the need for blood. A fresh-meat meal may also be a substitute. A KG, on their own with no trainer, will have an immediate bite-reaction to anything they deem unsafe or annoying - even a child tugging on their tail. This temperament is the reason no KG may be sold to someone without the proper licensing to own one.

Intelligence - Each KG has a high intelligence, with the ability to remember and string together commands and thoughts, putting them above other canines. They even understand language to some degree, and can therefore pick up new commands and words without being taught them. It is not uncommon for a KG to learn to read, up to a second-grade level; and all active-duty dogs learn to read the street signs of their patrol area after a time. This ability to string together thoughts also enables them to be set loose in a city and be trusted to ensure the safety of others - if a KG sees someone stealing, they will react, but will not react to someone simply picking up an item. They have a basic understanding of thought and processes. In wartime, their intelligence comes in handy - the dogs will react to enemy soldiers without the need for commands.

Loyalty & Determination - So high in this breed, it deserves a separate section. Being bred to be military dogs, the KG possess an incredibly loyalty to their masters and job. Let out in a war, a KG will not waver from the commands they have been given for anything; starving or injured.

Endurance - The KG have incredibly endurance and stamina, and thus must always have something to do or they become bored and restless. They are working dogs, and a KG is similar in many ways to how a German Shepherd might be - they need strenuous activity to drain the massive amounts of energy they have; be that running laps, giving a mind-task such as finding a hidden item, fighting with other dogs, etc.

Pain and Weakness.

Often a story is told about fighting dogs who are enraged by pain; they don't feel it, it makes them fight harder. This is entirely true of the KG. Unknown to humans, the KG have acquired the ability to look past the pain of injuries and keep fighting long after their bodies have told them to stop. Pain makes them fight harder - it's even an aphrodisiac of sorts to them. Call them masochistic, but the KG take pleasure in their pain. But this is not something completely born - a KG raised away from the packs and training a pup undergoes, would likely not develop this ability to the extend an experienced KG fighter will, and a dog who is had been afflicted with and injuries over his lifetime will not build up to the bliss an older dog will feel at a strike. Weakness is never tolerated in the KG. A dog unable to preform for any reason, whether through injury, disease, or mentality, are killed. Either by euthanasia from the humans, if the weakness is an injury or something obvious, or the dogs, if it is noticed by them only. These dogs are not one for helping a fallen comrade -they will leave them behind without a moments thought. A confusing theory, but true to them, and can only best be explain by the KG themselves.

"Pain is a weakness. You are a part of the King's Guard.Emotions have no meaning to you. You are a heartless, empty soldier, and your duty is to fight and follow orders. I'm sorry, was your own self part of those orders? No. Petty emotions have no place here.Anger and hate are all that matter in a fight - but you must be calm and calculating, and how will you do that with emotions clouding your head?Leave them behind.You will show no weakness, you will feel nothing. Weakness is cause to kill. Do you have a weakness? Do you think we won't kill you because of it? No, if you cause the slightest bit of lag on your team, we will not hesitate to end your life to keep going. Don't bother fighting - you know it's for the best, yes? Good.Nothing matters except keeping your city, your master safe."- Genkai

Bases

There are 3 official KG bases around the globe - these bases have 18 free-roam dogs. (There are FOUR bases if you are participating in the Roleplay.)These bases are: 1. Giza, Egypt 2. Sydney, Australia 3. Menefer, Mali 4. Akeridge, Alaska.

KG are ONLY bred, raised, and trained in these four bases.

KG Jobs

There are three types of jobs a KG is listed under and trained for, depending on their skills in the area.

Personal Protection - Personal protection dogs are the guards, the protectors, and the fighters. Although all KG's are well equipped fighters, the PP dogs are trained specifically for attacking, obeying every command, and being particularly fierce. The general traits of these dogs that make them most suited for personal protection are higher intelligence and ability to learn commands (these are the dogs that learn to read the best), strength but poor scenting abilities, and are generally slower, but have powerful attacks.

Bomb Squad - Although they are titled bomb squad, these dogs are basically scent-dogs; they are trained to recognized a multitude of scents and remember them - one dog will be able to point out and identify bombs, illegal substances, corpses, etc - an all-in-one purpose dog. These dogs are more focused on their tasks of scenting and have a lower energy level, and more eager to please their owner and see them happy, rather than the Guards who are really only concerned in keeping them safe. They are on the lower end of the strength scale, but high on intelligence.

Search & Rescue - The rarest of the three jobs. Rare, because it is more uncommon to find a KG so well rounded enough to fit well into being a S&R dog. An S&R dog must possess traits from both of the other jobs- the intelligence and memory to be able to track, the will to please owners, but also the will to save lives and keep someone safe. They must be strong, strong enough to go over any terrain, but swift enough to act in time. They also must be willing and able to swim, a trait fairly rare in the KG, so their muscle mass:fat ratio must be close enough to allow them to float - they look much more slim than their bulky brethren. Many other breeds can be consistently bred for S&R work, however when a KG passes the tests and shows promise in this field, they outdo any other canine.

In general, shorthairs are more easily bred for the traits that make good Bomb Squad and Search & Rescue - a longhair can of course test well enough to be these two positions, but the shorthairs have been known to more easily take to these jobs over the PP, because of their lacking in defense.

Other Jobs:

You don't have to be an AD dog to be a KG! The KG do have other purposes than simply protecting a city. The KG can work as just about anything in this world. They are often purchased by mining crews for help, police agencies as K9 officers, Search and Rescue OUTSIDE a base, service dogs for the disabled, and as well as simple personal protection for an owner!

SO roleplayers! You don't HAVE to be on the team to own a KG! :) While a human does need a permit to purchase a KG, that doesn't mean it's impossible! There are plenty of wealthy owners who have bought KG dogs to be their protectors, as well as countless agencies and jobs that use KG to function.

Ranks:

Active Duty - Out of the few hundred or so KG's there are, not all are a party of the active duty service. AD is reserved for those at the top of their class; the best of the best. These dogs patrol inside the three major cities that the KG have bases in - Giza, Sydney, and Akeridge. (One more will be added for the sake of the roleplay!) These dogs essentially "run loose" in these cities and take care of crime as they see it. Any city that buys their own KG may let their bought dog do this, but only those belonging to these three major cities are called active duty.This also extends to dogs sent off to war. If a war has developed, the KG will often only send off their best dogs to fight for them - either dogs that are currently stationed in the 3 cities, or dogs who have been registered to become available for the AD (dogs who are good enough, but there are no positions open).

The Assassins - A select group of dogs who specialize in quiet kills, reconnaissance missions, etc; anything that requires a sharp mind and quiet feet; each having extensive training beyond their normal class, in both KG and other military facilities. Only 6-7 dogs are a part of this elite group, and mostly kept hidden away - let out with other elite military groups on specific missions, and most live as an assumed pet in a part of a special military soldier's family.

Magic Defense - Every general, and some active duty dogs, are a part of the magic defense unit all major cities have. This group of dogs are called when some type of large magical pest-creature is running amok, and the dogs help to bring them down. Pretty self explanatory.

Generals - See below under positions.

Titles: -Among the characters of the various comics, as well as the Generals, you may hear "Titles" thrown around - as nicknames aren't used within the Guard, these Titles are names the individual dog has earned over time, because of a particular skill or trait they possess, or something outstanding they have done. (Genkai is "The Soldier", and Rampart is known as "The Dancer"). This is usually reserved for Generals, and a select few other dogs.No. You may not give yourself a Title! If you are in the roleplay, I may hand out titles based on the above criteria, but they will only be given by me, the creator.

Teams and KG Positions

In the KG, there are 6 trainers that alternate shifts during the week - a night shift, and day shift. There is always a trainer on duty, heading the patrol dog. Below is the hierarchy in the KG.

Generals - There are two generals; one heading each team. Although the other dogs are occasionally switched out, the general is never switched, and is never kenneled. A general remains in his position until death. Generals are usually the most dominant, most experienced of all the dogs, and are promoted the position by the trainers after a recent General has died. The role of the general is to keep the dogs in line and give orders when the trainer isn't around - a general's command may never override a trainer's. Being a KG General is not simply the title of a dog who leads a little team - these dogs have a real standing rank in the human military; they have the position of General, among even the humans. It is awarded to only the smartest, more intelligent, strongest, and most experienced of all the dogs - two per base, totaling only a mere 6 Generals (8 including Mali, the roleplay site). New General ranks are only given out at the death of a previous General. If a small group of 2-3 dogs are sent on a mission, and not sent with a General, they may or may not elect a sort of team leader. This does NOT make them a General.

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